Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing
by Sutiibun Raitobi
Summary: Harry has taken the events after his third year more seriously than before. He has used his summer to relearn the material he should have over the past three years, as well as set himself up for success in the future, getting rid of Divination. Harry is going to be stronger than in canon, more educated, and more Slytherinesque. Darker Harry than canon. Inspired by-CH1 disclaimer
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing

Chapter 1: Summer Changes and the Quidditch Cup

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and we are all playing in her sandbox. I have used the toys of some other authors as pure inspiration for this story. While their will be striking similarities to "A Cadmean Victory" by DarknessEnthroned, the story definitely diverges from that writers' own ideas very quickly. I like their work very much and have read the mentioned works at least three times now, go check it out if you haven't yet. For this, I am using them as a foundation and trying to turn it into my own image so I don't want to get flamed for similarities, there can only be so many fanfics while trying to remain original unfortunately. If you have read "A Cadmean Victory" you'll probably only see mimicry in this chapter, I tried to write it as differently as I could but I always like to read several other fanfictions as inspiration and pick and choose what I find as good plot ideas. This story will not be a Harry/Fluer fic, or maybe it will, I'm not concerned with romantic pairings for this, I'll put whatever ends up feeling natural later down the road.

That out of the way, hope you guys enjoy the first chapter! I have updated it from when I originally posted it. I corrected some things that readers have pointed out and tried to get rid of misplaced words.

"Harry!"

His name came from the delighted voice of the female member of the golden trio. He had been enjoying a rare moment of quiet to himself. Harry had been at the Weasley's for a couple of days of the summer now and it was difficult to ever find a moments peace, but he was glad to see his friend all the same and turned to greet her with a smile.

"Hermione." he said simply, she clearly had not changed over the summer one bit. He had overheard his cousin Dudley and his equally daft friends spout on about girls becoming beautiful women overnight during their teenage years. While Harry had certainly noticed the small changes in Hermione, he knew she was not done developing, and was glad to cast of the worry he had of his cousin being correct for once.

"How has your summer been Harry? I hope you have finished your assignments already and won't be putting them off till the train like Ronald." Hermione pestered him before continuing on. "Also, have you dropped that horrible Divination class after last year? I would even prefer you to just not take it at all and not replace it than for you to continue."

At that last remark Harry blinked. "You would prefer me to not further my education in any route as opposed to learning the skills of a Diviner?" he ribbed her teasingly. He was used to her asking dozens of questions at once after seeing each other after a long stint of time, so this was rather tame to what he was used to, and he now had her blushing and off balance. After a few soft chuckles he took pity on her and answered her other queries.

"My summer has been fine. The Weasley's got me from the Dursley's just a couple of days ago, but with the threat of Snuffles, they left me to my own devices. I used that time to owl Professor McGonagall and quit Divination and pick up Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. The professors for those two send me everything I would need to study over the summer to catch up with the rest in our year, and they will test me during the first class back to see if they need to set me up with a tutor for the first half of the year." Harry explained to her, using the code word for his escaped convict but innocent godfather, Sirius Black.

Now it was Hermione's turn to blink, usually Harry gave vague, short answers.

"That's great Harry!" she enthused at the news of him taking studies seriously for once. "Were you able to finish what they gave you for the summer? And you didn't mention your other assignments." she pressed sternly.

"Yes Hermione, I finished everything for school, I even revised all of our old work from previous years and reviewed everything in our old books that I could have missed." he admitted. After the events from the end of his third year at Hogwarts, he knew he could not remain the same as he was. While in muggle school he wasn't allowed to apply himself for fear of repercussion for doing better than Dudley, in the magical world he was expected to succeed, and so far he had spent far too much time gaffing of with his other best friend Ron.

After Peter Pettigrew, the real man responsible for the Dark Lord Voldemort going after his family and his parents being murdered on the Halloween of 1981, had escaped his capture at Hogwarts, Harry knew he must become a better wizard. That is why he had spent every moment at the Dursley's house not committed to chores on studying magic to the fullest he could. He started back with his first year and reread all the theory books and spend a hurtful amount of time practicing want movement and memorizing incantations to spells. The books showed why he had difficulty in class most of the time, he had skipped the theory on almost every class, and just tried to force spells to work, but no longer. For classes like potions and herbology he had even owl ordered reference books so that he could understand each better, and after his yearly trip to Diagon Alley, he had purchased a better potions making kit, determined to do better in that subject and spite his hateful Professor Snape.

With his godfather on the run from the Aurors, and Pettigrew still out there, probably aiding his master Voldemort, he had to be better. He was a bit better, and he would be ready the next time an opportunity to catch the rat animagus presented itself. He had begun having visions this summer of Voldemort in a small baby form which he learned to be a homunculus. He and Pettigrew were clearly plotting something, and with Harry's track record at Hogwarts, he knew it must involve himself somehow.

"That's great Harry! If you keep on that track your spell casting and grades will definitely improve and if you do really good this year, you will probably be a fifth-year prefect!" Hermione practically gushed. She seemed truly excited about the prospect of Harry actually taking school seriously.

Harry smiled at the girl. Her excitement was almost contagious. For him though, everything was a means to an end, not a love of knowledge, he merely wanted to ensure that he survived to live to a ripe old age. If knowledge allowed him to live, then so be it, he would no longer slack off and remain ignorant. That is why he had already started to study ahead, specifically in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. They were the classes that were considered 'wand' classes, and he had devoted time to them to ensure that he could duel more efficiently. He had even bought a couple of questionable books that he had picked up for extra reading and to practice more lethal spells once he was back at school. 'Never getting caught with my pants down again' he promised to himself.

While he himself did not care too much about being a prefect, he knew that it would be expected of him, he was The-Boy-Who-Lived. He also knew himself to be Headmaster Dumbledore's favorite student, he doubted he wouldn't be burdened with the extra responsibility of the badge.

Hermione brought him back from his thoughts with a question. "Where are the Weasley's?"

Harry jerked his head towards the stairs of the Burrow behind him. "Attempting to pack I believe." he told her with a knowing grin shared between them. The Weasley's were famous for being exceptionally unorganized on a normal day, a symptom of there being so many of them.

"Harrikins!" One of the twins, Fred or George, he could only tell the difference when he was looking at them, yelled to him from up the stairs. Soon followed a loud clambering down the steps, and he and Hermione were both surrounded by a sea of red hair. With the sudden increase in volume and proximity Harry shifted uncomfortably. He had still not gotten used to close contact with other people yet, a result of his upbringing with his magic hating relatives.

Mrs. Weasley, the matriarch of the clan soon took control of the situation. "Is everyone here?" she asked while bustling around, continually trying to tidy the house her brood left a havoc. "Honestly Ronald, Percy doesn't even like quidditch, and he got ready before you."

Soon after Ron was settled the group of Weasley's minus the Mrs. made off for the World Quidditch Cup which Britain was hosting this year. Mr. Weasley had gotten some top box tickets from a raffle at his place of work, the Ministry of Magic. This was extremely fortunate for the Weasley's as with so many children they ended up a little less well-off to do on the monetary side of things. Percy, the third eldest Weasley also worked at the Ministry and had only agreed to go to the cup because his own boss, Bartimus Crouch was going as well.

Soon after going over some hills and meeting up with the Diggory's, another magical family who had a boy a couple of years older than Harry also attending Hogwarts. They took a portkey to the campsites once it was time to depart.

Portkeying became Harry's second least favorite form of magical travel after flooing. He barely managed to remain on his feet after a swirl of magic dumped their group hundreds of miles away. 'At least there will be quidditch.' Harry thought to himself while he followed the Weasley's to their magically expanded tent.

"Bulgaria will win!" Ron earnestly declared while they were sitting in their seats watching the match play out.

"We disagree Ronnikins. While Krum may be mighty-"

"our money is on the Irish."

"Well George, our money is actually on the Irish and Krum." Fred corrected.

"Too true Freddie, Ireland to win the whole thing, but only after Krum catches the snitch." George finished.

"I still think Bulgaria is going to come out on top." Ron stubbornly argued until Ginny stepped on his toes to get him to shut up.

"Be quiet you lot, I'm trying to watch the game!" she hissed.

'She spoke in front of me.' Harry thought to himself. 'Maybe she is finally getting over her crush on me.'

He thought too soon, because Ginny noticed him studying her and quickly blushed beet red and turned herself back towards Hermione.

'Guess not.' he laughed to himself. While the thought of interacting with girls in a romantic sense was a new concept to him, he still wasn't accepting of the hero worship that most people at school had for him. At least Ginny had a reason to hero worship him for his own deeds. He had gone down into the Chamber of Secrets his second year and killed a Basilisk, as well as killed the shade of Tom Riddle, Voldemort's real name, by stabbing an enchanted diary which had possessed her to save her life.

While he was musing to himself, he ended up catching Hermione and Ginny looking at him weirdly at one point. "What is it?" he asked them.

"Why aren't you acting like an imbecile, like the rest of these lunks?" Hermione asked him, gesturing to the male Weasley's and the rest of the men in the top box. It appeared that they were all staring dazedly at the female cheerleaders for the Bulgarian team who were doing one of their dances again after their chasers finally managed to hammer in a score. He noted that they looked like the American cheerleaders that his cousin Dudley always eyed on the TV when his parents weren't home. He looked back at his female friends and shrugged his shoulders.

"Beats me, they may be a pretty sight, but no need to stare when that is going on." he gestured towards the mass of red and green in the sky, chasers and beaters zooming in and out of each other trying to finish and disrupt plays respectively.

The girls looked to where he gestured and shook their heads.

"But those are veela down there Harry, they are supposed to be able to enchant men with their aura." Hermione informed him.

At this news he looked down at the group of dancing women again. Currently they were growing feathers and throwing fireballs at the Irish leprechauns who were just dancing jigs around them, laughing all the while.

"Well, they don't have much of a hold of me at the moment I guess." he responded as the other boys seemed to snap out of their dazes now that the women weren't dancing.

While everyone got back to watching the match, he just reviewed some plays that he caught with his pair of omnioculars that played magical recording back. While he loved quidditch, he certainly preferred playing it as opposed to trying to keep track as a spectator.

At one point, when someone scored and the crowd went wild, the Weasley's included, Harry caught an elbow to the face which knocked his glasses off. He took a couple of glances around himself and then pulled out his wand and quietly summoned them to himself, knowing the Ministry wouldn't be able to tell that he was the one casting underage with this many magicals in attendance. After stowing away his wand back in his sleeve, he noticed his glasses were slightly chipped and proceeded to use the only spell he knew how to do wandlessly and silently, the mending charm. He only got good at this one from his cousin breaking his things all the time and needing to be able to fix them without a wand.

As the match continued, Ireland proceeded to do as Fred and George predicted and rack up the points, and soon prophecy came true and Krum caught the snitch, still leaving the Bulgarians in a deficit. The crowd went silent before it erupted and Harry spotted the twins going off to harass the announcer, Ludo Bagman, whom he knew they had made bets with.

Later into the evening while Harry was deep asleep, someone shook him awake.

"Harry!" Mr. Weasley hissed. "We need to leave, get the others and get to the woods, someone's setting tents on fire. Bill, Percy, and I are going off to help the Ministry regain control of the situation."

Harry watched the man and his two older sons head out of the tent, still trying to wipe the fog of sleep from his mind. Once it caught up to what he had just been told he rushed to get the others awake and soon they were out of the tent as well.

As they were following the mass of people heading for the woods in a panic, something hit the side of his face hard and all he saw was white light.

When Harry regained consciousness, he noticed that the left side of his face was warm and sticky. A hand check brought back brownish red results telling him that he had a head wound.

'Shit.' He thought to himself as he took in his surroundings. He appeared to be alone in this side of the camp now. He began walking around, taking in all of the destruction people had wrought, burnt tents everywhere. He thought he could see human forms underneath the ash but couldn't bring himself to check.

As he began making his way to the woods again, he ducked as his senses told him too, just in time to avoid a white light that came from his right. Having already drawn his wand Harry shot of a quick disarming jinx straight at the man.

It bounced off some magical shield and failed as the man threw a cutting curse back. "Lacero!" the man hissed. Harry summoned a rock from a fire pit to take the curse and immediately fired off another desperate "Expelliarmus! "It once again bounced off a shield, and away from the man whom Harry could see better now. He had a thin, pale, skeletal appearance and was draped in black robes. The man was also muttering incomprehensibly to himself words that Harry could not make out.

"Crucio!" the man cried, and all Harry knew was pain for a split second after seeing a flash of red light. That one second was the most painful second of his life, including the time he fought Voldemort for the Philosopher's stone, as well as when he was bitten by the Basilisk. It was by pure luck that he had been hit by it just before he got behind a pile of wreckage for cover, falling face first behind his new barrier with the man still a distance away.

"I am his most loyal follower." Harry heard the man whispering to himself as he peaked from behind his cover, trying to recover his senses from that burst of pain from whatever that curse was.

Another Crucio narrowly missed Harry's head by an inch, but a third clipped him on his left shoulder and Harry reacted on instinct, just pointing his wand at the man in a desperate attempt to stop the man from harming him.

The pain made Harry's mind a bit fuzzy, but it made him remember another time of when his life was in danger. It made him remember the two very first words that were locked in his memory. It made him remember a flash of green light, one that was now glowing from the tip of his own wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry hissed at the man, and a bolt of green lightning impacted him straight in the chest and launched him end over end in the opposite direction. The man landed some distance away, and he did not get back up.

As Harry took in the scene around him, and how he was utterly alone, and how he believed he had just killed a man. He also took a second to think about what that would mean for him. He knew that wands could be checked to see what they cast last, and he couldn't think of a way to get himself out of this situation.

'I can't be thrown into prison, the dementors will ruin me quicker than a tick.' he thought to himself as he moved towards the man he had killed.

Looking down into the lifeless eyes of the man he was just fighting, he took notice of the wand still in his hand. 'It's not even like I can take that one as a replacement either if I get checked, it will show whatever he was throwing at me.'

Soon, an unspeakable idea came to Harry. With his own wand and that of his attackers still in his hands, he aimed his own at the body of his foe and cast the one fire charm he knew, burning it several times until the body was nothing but ash as well as their surroundings. When this was complete, he snapped both his wand and his attackers, pocketing both materials. He took a second to accept the pain of breaking his trusty Holly wand, and all that it had helped him get through.

'I have to continue to survive, and I have to continue to get better.' he told himself as he turned around and began making his way back towards the woods.

As he walked away, Harry had no idea the changes that he had just wrought on the future, that of the Wizarding World, or of his own. He had no way of knowing how much his actions here would change himself, for the better or the worse of the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing

Chapter 2: Returning to Hogwarts

A/N: All righty. Here is chapter two for you, I have tomorrow off so I stayed up late to get this in, might finish another chapter tomorrow as well, we will see. Enjoy!

The train ride had started off as it usually would, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione finding a compartment of their own as quickly as they could. So far there had been a long, awkward silence. Ever since the world cup, Harry had been withdrawn, closed off to all but his inner musings, and it was having an effect on the moods of his two best friends.

Hermione kept sending worried glances his way, silently asking what was wrong, a question she had voiced many times since they had regrouped in the woods that night. On no occasion had Harry replied to any of the ones who cared about him in life. The only excluded moment was when he had revealed that he had broken his wand in the chaos of the burnings and riot, leaving his friends with only this to go off of as to determine his feelings.

Harry tried his best to ignore the look Hermione was giving him. He was more focused on his time at Ollivander's, having been brought by side-along apparition with Mr. Weasley.

Flashback-

The spin of apparition did not sit well with him, regardless of Mr. Weasley's assurances that apparating of your own volition was much easier on the stomach and nerves, "as long as you didn't splinch yourself that is." He had said.

Mr. Weasley had apparated away nearly immediately after bringing him to the Alley. The man had to get to work at the Ministry and help rein in some of the panic that was rampant throughout the nation. The tabloid journalist Rita Skeeter had been wreaking havoc on the Ministry's reputation, mentioning response times at the cup, and leaving them a national embarrassment.

Now, after walking alone down the for some reason, quiet alley, Harry found himself in front of Ollivander's. He pulled his own broken wand pieces from his pocket and gripped them in his hand and steadied his breath as he prepared himself for his encounter with the strange wand maker.

Pushing open the shop door with a tinkle of a bell Harry entered the building. Its interior looked the same as when he came four years ago, rows of shelves lined with thin boxes covered the entire floor, and cobwebs and the like covered them.

"Ah.. Mr. Potter." Harry jumped as a voice came from just beside him to his right, spinning to face the noise. He found Mr. Ollivander, staring at him unblinkingly. "I did not expect to be seeing you in here after such a short amount of time. Am I to take it that there is something wrong with your first wand?" the man asked, hitting the situation right on its head.

Harry paused a moment before answering, looking into his hand at the fore-spoken wand. It had served him well when it was in prime condition, now it was less than useless, it was a reminder of that horrible night.

"Yes, sir... I was wondering if it would be possible for you to fix it, it was only the one snap, and it's only in two pieces." He stated hopefully, already knowing that the man would most likely not be able to.

The gray-haired wizard merely shook his head sadly, also looking down into Harry's hand. "I am afraid not Mr. Potter. Once a wand has been snapped, there is very little I can do in ways of repairing them. Your friend Hagrid, while he was capable of making his work for rudimentary spells, would never be capable of casting more remarkable magic beyond the basics, and the same truth lies with your wand. You would not be able to make it through the remainder of your education should I try repairing your wand as it is, I am afraid."

Harry just swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as the man explained all of that too him and nodded his understanding. "Well, if that's the case, I would like to purchase a new wand please."

"Hmm.. Why don't you show me that wand that you have in your pocket Mr. Potter? I would like to examine it's pieces." the old man replied, shocking Harry with how he knew about the other piece of wood.

After setting his mouth back to closed, Harry produced the wand of the man he had killed. Mr. Ollivander took the two pieces of the wand from him gingerly and began examining them. "Odd, this wand has what I believe an even stronger pull to you than your Holly wand. I say odd because this wand is made of Yew, the opposite of yours, and while yours has a core of a Phoenix tail feather, this has the heartstrings of a Chinese Fireball."

Harry blinked at this information. "Well, you wouldn't be able to fix that wand either, would you sir?" he asked dejectedly.

Mr. Ollivander just shook his head and hummed in thought before turning on a dime and walking back to the farthest rows of his shop, picking out three wand boxes and making his return. He opened up the first box after setting the other two on his shop counter and gingerly handed it over to Harry handle first. "Here you are Mr. Potter. This is a Yew wand, slightly bendy, eleven inches, and the dragon heartstring of another Chinese Fireball."

While this new wand did leave a warm feeling in his hand, and felt like it would work for him, it just didn't feel completely right before Mr. Ollivander was already ripping it away and handing him another. "Here, try this instead, Yew as well, very flexible, ten and a half inches, and the heartstring of a Welsh Green."

Once again, while this wand felt decent, it just wasn't giving a reaction similar to what his Holly wand had when he had first gotten it. and once again the wand was taken away from him by a very curious Mr. Ollivander. "Well, this is the last remaining Yew wand in my shop that has a heartstring. This one is a little rarer, with it's heartstring coming from a Ukrainian Ironbelly. They were notoriously hard to kill dragons and were extremely resistant to magical attacks. They went into extinction during the Grindelwald war, and so very few wands exist that have them as ingredients now. This one is unbending, thirteen inches, try this on then."

Almost as soon as Ollivander handed Harry the wand, he felt an immediate rush of heat through his body, making him feel like his magic had never flowed before! It felt like hot air was beginning to swirl around him, and it appeared to be true as Mr. Ollivander had his hands in front of his face and was backing away from him now. When the heat felt like it was done rising and the air pressure around him calmed down a bit he gave it a wave and watched in awe as a stream of green fire twirled from his wand, surrounding him in a small cyclone of it before it buffeted itself out after he consciously cut off his magic to the wand.

He stared down at this wand, one that was not completely straight, and curved oddly, a small angle pointing downward from the handle, and the remainder waving up and down like what he learned radio waves did in middle school. He looked back up to Mr. Ollivander. "I believe this one has chosen me sir." He stated to the equally shocked man with a nervous laugh.

Him speaking seemed to snap Ollivander out of his own shock. He looked from Harry, to the wand, and down to the slightly scorched wood surrounding the boy in a perfect circle. "I do believe you might just be correct Mr. Potter. I must say, I personally have never seen a wand react that way, but that is the nature of magic, I guess. Well, that will be seven galleons please, and could I offer you anything else while you are here?"

End Flashback-

The power he had felt flow through him when he held his new Yew wand had scared him a little. It had reminded him a little about the feeling of triumph he had when he cast the killing curse and it landed true. After leaving Ollivander's with his new wand, a new dragon hide wrist holster, and some wand polish, he had also picked up a book on wand lore so that he could read into what the difference in woods and cores could mean for someone.

What he had read had shocked him, and yet at the same time, it wasn't really all that surprising when he pondered it more.

The book had stated that his old wand of Holly stood for a tree of life, one that was a guardian. It was also the wood of his birth month in the Celtic calendar. The phoenix feather core represented the renewal of life.

His new Yew wand was a representation of poison and was fabled to have power over life and death. Revered by the Celtic druids, and with a dragon heartstring, it lent this wand even more power, made it quicker to learn magic, and made it have a higher inclination to the Dark Arts and offensive magic in general.

He wasn't too sure how that last part made him feel, but after the events leading to his first wand being broken, it made near perfect sense. He had killed a man, using the very curse he knew his parent's murderer to have used. It was fitting that after such an act he would not be destined for a wand made of Holly, something that sounded much more benign than his new.

"Harry!" he jumped his seat, and the next thing the golden trio knew, Hermione had Harry's new wand directed at her face, it's tip glowing green and crackling with energy. Hermione had a terrified look on her face and had squeaked the moment she realized she was at the business end of a wand.

Ron was simply dumb-smacked, mouth agape. "Blimey Harry! Calm down a bit, you could have poked an eye out with that thing." He tried to joke as Harry stowed his wand back into his holster after a steadying breath.

"I'm sorry about that Hermione, you startled me is all." Harry tried to apologize to his female friend, who was shaking a little bit at Harry's reaction to a mild leveled shout. She had not expected him to lash out like that, especially with how he had been so quiet since his wand got broken.

"It.. It's OK Harry, I didn't mean to be so loud." she replied shakily, still somewhat rattled. She knew that green didn't usually mean well for the one on the receiving end of a spell and was worried why Harry might react to anything with possibly lethal intent. "I was going to ask you how far you had gotten through the Charms text? You've been in that and the Defence book almost non-stop since getting your new wand."

Harry took in his friends features now that he was truly looking at her for the first time since that night. He noted that her hair was less of a wild mane as it was previously, and how she was slowly growing into her buck teeth, the braces her parents made her wear doing their intended work slowly to help correct the bones in her mouth. It made him think of his cousin Dudley and his claims of girls changing, and realized that it wasn't anything major, but if Hermione was changing, so would be his other female classmates.

"Harry?" Hermione pressed, trying to get an answer, and also to relieve some tension that was building up from how long Harry was studying her.

Harry stopped his musings immediately and thought on what she said. "Hmm, I've finished reading everything for Charms. I think I could do well with most of the book when we get back to classes, in Defence, some of the jinxes and curses are a bit more complicated, so I'd like to see how our new professor teaches the material."

Hermione's eyebrows rose significantly as Ron looked at Harry blankly, shaking his head slowly.

"You're barking mad with all the reading you've been doing mate. You didn't even want to play wizard's chess once the rest of the time we were at the Burrow." He then turned to Hermione and pointed to her accusingly. "You've gone and corrupted my best friend you have!" he stated in mock indigence. "What say about a game now though?" he directed back at Harry.

"I have not corrupted anyone Ronald." Hermione retorted with a huff. "It's not my fault that Harry has decided to take his studies more seriously, and maybe you should think of doing the same." To Harry she said. "That's really impressive if you got that far Harry. I only skimmed the entire thing and have been trying to understand the first few chapters and spells as thoroughly as possible. Maybe we should decide on a study plan to keep us on track and make sure we can help each other!" she spewed out excitedly.

Harry was a little uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading, only because he knew how zealous Hermione could get with learning. He decided to take the only escape route he knew, using Ron as a distraction. "Yeah, maybe, maybe we can talk about it after classes begin if the workload seems a little too much. Get your board out though Ron, I'm down to get stomped at a game or two for the rest of the ride." With that Harry and Ron were consumed by the board while Hermione opened up her Charms book to try and catch up to what Harry had said he had achieved.

Harry was staring hard at the carriages that would pull them up to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade station. He seemed to be staring at some kind of skeletal winged horse, but he had never seen any steed attached to the carriages that he always thought were self-pulling. They had a strange aura of beauty. Not much of an obvious one, but something about them still felt familiar to him.

"Come on Harry!" Ron called to him as he stepped into the carriage connected to the bone horse he was looking at; Hermione having already climbed inside. "It's starting to rain; you'll catch your death out there if you keep on dawdling."

Harry followed to the carriage door and gave the creature one last glance, deciding to look them up in his Care of Magical Creatures text later tonight while he unpacked. He then stepped into the carriage, and soon they were on their final leg of their trip back to Harry's very first Home.

Stepping out of the carriage Harry took in the majesty of the gray stone castle. Even after all these years of attending the school he still marveled at it's size and it's beauty. Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was his safe haven away from his abusive relatives. As a child, they demeaned him, called him a freak for his magic, and tried to beat the magic out of him and stomp some "normality" into him. They lied and told him that his parents had died in a drunken car wreck as opposed to their murders and hid his heritage from him.

Hogwarts, and when his friend Hagrid the half giant took him away from them was his first taste of freedom. Regardless of all of the crazy things that happened to him so far at this school, from the Philosopher's stone and Quirrelmort, to being ostracized in second year for the chamber, and the dementors and his crazy godfather last year, he loved this castle as home all the same.

He and the rest of the trio made their way through it's grand front doors and proceeded to the great hall where they continued to grab seats in the middle of the Gryffindor table, their backs to Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Soon the rest of the students filtered in and the hall was abuzz with chatter.

Ron could be heard from many seats over proclaiming his starvation. "You'll have food soon enough Ron." Harry comforted his friend, receiving laughs from Dean and Seamus from their year, and a couple of giggles from Lavender and Parvati, two of the other girls outside of Hermione.

"The food never comes soon enough!" Ron bemoaned. "Don't they know that a growing boy needs to eat?" he pleaded helplessly.

"Honestly Ron, you can wait for the sorting like you do every year, didn't you eat enough sweets on the train?" Hermione badgered the boy. "Now quiet down! Here come the first years."

She was right. At that moment Professor McGonagall was entering through the grand double doors and was being trailed by a gathering of short boys and girls wearing all black robes, still not trimmed with house piping, whether it be red, blue, green, or yellow. Nor did any of the tykes have ties on like the older students did.

She led them to the head table, where all the teachers sat, and stopped all the students in front of a wooden stool with the sorting hat on it.

The hall silenced itself, as all the older witches and wizards in the room knew what was to come next.

The hat tore itself from it's flap and began to sing its yearly song.

"A thousand years or more ago  
When I was newly sewn,  
There lived four wizards of renown,  
Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,  
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,  
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,  
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,  
They hatched a daring plan  
To educate young sorcerers  
Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders  
Formed their own house, for each  
Did value different virtues  
In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were  
Prized far beyond the rest;  
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest  
Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were  
Most worthy of admission;  
And power-hungry Slytherin  
Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide  
Their favorites from the throng,  
Yet how to pick the worthy ones  
When they were dead and gone?

Twas Gryffindor who found the way,  
He whipped me off his head  
The founders put some brains in me  
So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,  
I've never yet been wrong,  
I'll have a look inside your mind  
And tell where you belong!"

And with that the sorting was under way. Harry didn't pay too much attention, as he didn't know anyone who had any siblings coming in this year, though he did catch that Colin Creevey's little brother had come this year and had made it into Gryffindor as well. 'Great, now I'll probably have two fanboys following me around with hero worship.' he thought darkly to himself. 'Why can't people just leave me be.'

Once the sorting was over, Dumbledore took his place standing at the podium just in front of the head table and spread his arms to grab everybody's attention.

"And now, I have only two words for you. Tuck in." he said, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Hear, hear!" Ron's voice also echoed.

Immediately food appeared onto the golden platters laid before them and people began piling food onto their plates and eating eagerly.

Once dessert was being wrapped up, the Headmaster made his way to his podium once again. "I have a few announcements for the coming term. First, we are pleased to welcome retired auror Alastor Moody, who will be taking over as the Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts this year." At this the grisly looking wizard who was sitting on Dumbledore's left side stood and was met by loud applause throughout the hall. The man had a large, magical, prosthetic eye that seemed to move in every direction at once on it's own. Much of his face was heavily scarred.

"That's Mad-Eye Moody that is! My dad told me about him, he is supposed to be responsible for the imprisonment of over half of the Death Eaters from the last war rotting in Azkaban!" Ron informed them excitedly.

"Once again, the Forbidden Forest remains out of bounds to all students." Dumbledore continued after Moody sat back down. "Additionally, Mr. Filch wishes to remind students that there is to be no practicing of magic in the hallways. Also, a list of banned items may be found on the door to his office."

Noise began to pick back up, everyone thinking that the Headmaster had finished his announcements before the man regathered attention with a loud clap. "Finally, due to some circumstances, the Quidditch Cup and House Cup for this year's term has been suspended." At this, shouts of protest could be heard throughout the hall, only to be silenced by Dumbledore simply raising his hand into the air in a placating gesture.

"The circumstances for the suspension of Hogwarts' typical schedule is due in part to the fact that this year, beginning on the thirtieth of October, we will play host, to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute for the Practice of Magical Arts will be joining us on that evening. Those that arrive will be our guests for the remainder of the year, and further information will be provided as their arrival draws closer. Prefects, please see your houses to the dormitories, and good night students."

As the hall erupted into noise and people began to get up to leave Harry turned to Hermione and asked one question. "What exactly is the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"


	3. Chapter 3

Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing

Chapter Four: Back to Classes and Below

A/N: All right. Harry puts some of his summer knowledge to the test in this chapter, and he takes a little stroll on a Saturday morning. I've updated the first two chapters to try and cut out any inconsistencies and further spelling errors. I am sure that I haven't made anything perfect, but I do try to spell, fact, and grammar check as well as I can before publishing. Hope you guys enjoy chapter three!

As the first of September had been a Thursday, Harry had to get through a grueling morning of History of Magic for his first day back before he had breezed through Charms, a much more entertaining class. Now it was the afternoon and he found himself in the dungeons. He sat patiently on the Gryffindor side of the room with Neville Longbottom, being sure to be as far from the Slytherins as possible. Once everyone was seated, Professor Snape stalked his way to the center of the room and turned towards the class with a twirl of his robes.

"Welcome back to fourth year Potions class." Snape drawled, it so quiet in the room that the man's low tone carried throughout the dungeon room. The man was making eye contact with Harry as he said it, making said boy sigh internally, imagining the difficulty this class will give him this year.

"This year is your last before your Ordinary Wizarding Level's Test, or OWL's as many refer to them. Your grades on your OWL's determine whether or not you get to continue your education in all classes. Be assured that I will utilize this year to prepare the one's of you who have a fledgling of intelligence, and a smidgen of potential to brew a decent potion. It will be this year and the next that will sort out those who have talent, and those too lazy to apply themselves to such a delicate art." Harry did not have to be looking to the Professor to know who the man had directed these comments at.

'I really don't know why he thinks of me in this way. I was the only one writing down literally everything he was saying in first year before he went in on me.' He thought to himself dejectedly. Presumably the dour Potions professor had severe personal issues. Harry also didn't believe all the time the man spent in the dungeons and away from sunlight helped with the situation either.

"The instructions for today's potion are on the board. Snape announced with a flourish of his wand towards the blackboard behind his desk. "Begin." he sneered before seating himself, setting to grading the potions of other classes from the morning.

Harry reached for his new potions kit with a sigh. While he had learned that better quality materials, and properly decontaminating them would help him achieve better results with his potions, today he was sat with Neville of all people.

Luckily, it wasn't a potion that they were partnered up for completely, and he could worry about his own work mostly. 'I'll just have to make sure Neville doesn't blow his up and ruin mine is all.'

Harry had been ensuring that his equipment was as clean as possible and was now using his old chopping knife as a cutting board and began cutting up some leeches, ensuring that they touched nothing but his knives before depositing them in his potion.

Thankfully, this turned his to the exact shade of turquoise listed in his reference book. A look around the room showed that only him, Hermione, and Malfoy had gotten the potion so correctly at this point.

A while later saw Harry stoppering a sample vial of his potion, it looking still that exact shade of turquoise mentioned in the book. He labeled it with his name and brought it up to the Professor's desk where he received a sneer of disgust, but his potion survived the encounter.

He was the third student to finish behind Hermione and Malfoy, and started properly cleaning all of his equipment, something he had always failed to do in past classes, and something that he was sure affected his brewing these last few years unfavorably.

There was still a fair bit of time left to class before Snape would have them officially packing up. Said man was now lurking ominously throughout the rows of students, looking for any major screw-ups.

Soon Snape made his way in front of Harry and Neville. While the man seemed pleased for once that Harry was showing his equipment the proper care it deserved, that did nothing to save Neville as the boy's potions went from a passable deep blue, to a sickly yellow sludge.

"Longbottom." Snape tsked. "And to think I had actually hoped that you would get through the entire potion without bungling it up." the man stalked back to his looming desk in the front of the room.

Neville attempted to save his potion as best he could, but he only managed to make it a sickly green. He would be lucky to receive a low Acceptable if a passing grade at all.

Soon the class was packing up to leave when the Professor called out to Harry. "Mr. Potter, remain behind please."

'Probably going to accuse me of cheating.' Harry thought dejectedly. He waited for everyone to make it out of the class and then made his way to the older man's desk. "Did I do something wrong with the potion professor?" he asked.

Snape sneered in response. "Look at your potion Potter." he said while holding up the mentioned phial. "You know very well that you didn't' mess this up, and you scored the highest in the class for the day. Care to explain to me why that is, when all these years have seen you making mediocre attempts at best?"

The mix between a compliment and an insult threw Harry for a loop. 'I had the best potion?'

"I studied more into the theory portions of all of my classes from all of the past years sir. I believe my revisions helped to correct some of my brewing deficiencies, as well as a better quality brewing kit." Harry explained as politely as he could. It was one of the rare conversations where interactions remained civil between him and the professor.

"Then I must tell you Mr. Potter, that your decision to finally open up your textbooks outside of class is a refreshing breath of air. While I had no respect for your father during our schooling together, at the very least your mother was known to be an intelligent woman, it's about time you started reflecting more than that arrogant toe rag who sired you. Be sure to keep up this level of work, for now I know that you actually have potential, and I will not see it wasted. Are we understood?"

Once again, the compliments hidden in insults where confusing him. He never expected the professor to compliment either of his parents, though the insults to his father were always expected. "I'll be sure to try my best sir. Is there anything else?"

"No, you may make your way back to your dormitory or go straight to dinner as this is the last period. See yourself out." the abrasive man directed, and Harry didn't need to be told twice and all but bolted back up to the Gryffindor common room.

"Balderdash!" Harry blurted to the Fat Lady, prompting her to swing open her frame and allow him entrance into the dorms. He made his way through the entry and saw Ron and Hermione over in the trio's usual corner waiting for him. Ron tinkering with his chess set, and Hermione studying her potions text. Hermione saw him first and gave him a smile. "Hey Harry! I hope Professor Snape didn't give you a hard time. What did he want from you anyways?"

Harry dropped his bag on the side of the couch and seated himself right up against the bushy haired witch. "Honestly, it was confusing. Between the insults, he wanted to compliment my potion today, and to tell me basically to keep my grades up to my mother's standards was the translation I got. I say that because he insulted my dad at the same time."

"Oh, that's great Harry! Well I guess it's also horrible at the same time, what he said about your dad I mean. Though, it is rare to receive any praise from Professor Snape in potions, even if you are a Slytherin. Did you get the high grade of the day then? I knew that my potion wasn't exactly as perfect as it could have been, I've been trying to figure out where I may have went wrong. Would you be able to go over it with me when we get back from dinner and set to doing homework?" asked Hermione.

"Blimey Hermione, let the bloke have a second to think, it's Friday, we have all weekend to do the homework!" Ron chimed in. "He would much rather play some chess or exploding snap with the guys tonight, right Harry?"

"Well actually, I'd rather get the Potion's essay and Charms reading done tonight that way I can go flying the rest of the weekend. I'm all for playing some games once that is done and I've gone over the potion from earlier with Hermione though mate." Harry compromised, trying to ensure that he made time for both friends. Over the summer another thing that he had thought over was how he could be a better friend equally to his two best friends, especially with how Hermione risked her life with the time-turner to save Sirius last year.

"And yes, I got the highest-grade today Hermione. Speaking of dinner though, I'm starved, let me drop my bag off and let's head down to the great hall yeah?" Harry said, grabbing his things and running them upstairs.

Fried steak was the main dish tonight, something that Harry was more than okay with and loaded two onto his plate with a large side of potatoes and carrots. He noticed how he could eat much more than when he first arrived at the castle in first year. Back then he was a scrawny little twig, the shortest in the entire year. He also had a hard time ever eating the rich food of Hogwarts due to the malnutrition caused by the Dursleys, something he had to live with for the first ten years of his life.

Now he was only a couple of inches shorter than Ron who was considered one of the tallest, and he weighed a fair few stones more than he used to and likely would have had he never discovered the magical world.

He ate his first helping quickly before piling up a smaller second plate for himself. It was at this time that Hermione decided to tease him about his Ron-like eating habits. "Harry, I know that the Weasley's act like they have adopted you, but that does not in fact make you related to that pig of a boy." she gestured to Ron, who was on the opposite side of the table to them, and who was shoveling potatoes into his mouth at the cyclic rate.

Harry just chuckled, trying to swallow what was in his mouth before responding. "Have no fear Hermione, I like to think that I have far better table manners than that troll. Be that as it may, I am a growing boy and I need my food if I want to come into my own you know." Harry defended himself but refusing to defend Ron.

The redhead made no effort to defend himself either, perfectly content with keeping his mouth and stomach as full as possible. Though Neville, who was a couple of spots down from them, decided to join the conversation.

"I heard that you might be the new best student at Potions Harry! Do you think next class you could give me some tips so I don't bungle up my grade too badly?" the slightly chubby blonde boy asked with an earnest look of hope on his face.

"I wouldn't call myself the best at potions after one brew Neville, but I do know a fair bit more about the theory behind the ingredients than I used to. If my own potion is doing good I can whisper some hints to you when Snape isn't looking at the very least. Harry conceded.

"Professor Snape, Harry." Hermione corrected before Neville could respond.

"Gee, thanks Harry I appreciate it." said the boy before he got back to his own dinner.

"Whu cahhs abuut potuhhs?" Ron tried to ask around a mouth stuffed with food.

"Ughhh! Swallow before talking Ronald, honestly! And what did you say?" Hermione scolded.

Ron gulped what looked like a rather painful amount of steak down before responding again. "I said, who cares about Potions anyhow? With Snape teaching, it's not like we learn anything useful anyways."

"Professor Snape, Ron, and Potions is an extremely important class to have OWL's and NEWT's in for a good number of jobs that you could possibly go to. Didn't your three brother's that have already graduated have good Potions grades?" was Hermione's retort to defend the importance of academics.

"Well, yes, they had good Potions grades. But Bill is a Curse-Breaker, and Charlie is a dragon-tamer. They both need to know Potions in case something dangerous happens in the field. And of course, Percy got good grades because he was a prat."

"Well Ron, wouldn't you still like to get an exciting job like Bill or Charlie at the very least?" Harry tried to moderate the situation before he and Hermione could turn the conversation into another one of their famous rows. 'Honestly, can't tell if they are an old married couple or if they actually despise each other when I am not around.'

Ron paused at that line of thinking. Well, for those you generally just need a passing grade at the OWL's level. I'm sure I can scrape an A and be done with the class after fifth year. I doubt Snape would even let anyone with less than an Outstanding into his NEWT's Potions class."

"It's a shame that we don't get career counseling until fifth year before we take our OWL's. It would have been good to know about the options of careers when we were choosing electives. It was partly why I chose everything for last year." said Hermione, somewhat peeved about what she saw as a flaw in the administration capabilities of the school. "If we got a talking too about careers before picking electives it would have made deciding easier."

"You're not kidding. I would never have picked Divination no matter what Ron would say about it being an easy grade. I can't wait for the first Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes and not spending time in that smelly tower Trelawney calls a classroom anymore." Harry said, forgetting that Ron was the only one of the trio who didn't know that he had changed his schedule yet.

"What do you mean you're doing Ancient Runes and Arithmancy now Harry?! Are you really going to leave me alone in Divination with Trelawney?" Ron bellowed indignantly.

Harry sighed, having wanted to avoid this situation entirely, but knowing it was inevitable. "Yes Ron, I changed my electives. Divination is useless, and I am sick of having my death predicted in every class. I would rather study something that can be applied to creating spells or learning curse-breaking and ward-breaking and the like."

"But Divination is so easy, we get very little homework at all! Why would you want to give that up?" Ron asked.

"Well for one Ron, after the events of last year with the dementors, the Basilisk in second year, and the stone in first, I realized that I should start truly applying myself, I thought we had gone over this already?"

Ron didn't seem to know what to say to that and just huffed before setting himself back to his dinner. The rest of the time eating was a quiet affair, and soon the students made their ways back up to the dormitories for the evening.

That Saturday morning, Harry woke up earlier than his dorm mates. Ron was still snoring away loudly as Harry made his way down to the first-floor girls bathroom, the hidden entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Last night, the talk about curse-breaking and dragon-taming had made him remember the protected place where only he could enter, and the giant beast that he had killed within it's depths.

Ensuring that nobody was around to see him go in, he opened the door and made his way to the sink. "Open." he said, but nothing happened.

You didn't say it in snake that time, Harry." He whipped around with his wand out only to see Moaning Myrtle floating sullenly behind him.

"Sorry about that Myrtle, you almost gave me a fright." He apologized while he stowed his wand back into it's holster. "I plan on going down and exploring it a bit. It should be easier now that I know more magic and I've already killed the Basilisk." he explained to the dead Ravenclaw.

The female ghost just giggled in response. "I never did thank you for killing that beast for me Harry. Just know that if you ever die, you can haunt the bathroom with me." Somehow the girl managed to blush even in death as she fluttered her eyelashes at him through her pearly sheen glasses.

"Umm. Thanks Myrtle, that's really sweet of you. Could you make sure to scare anyone else who comes in here away so that they won't discover the entrance? I'd like to use it as my own little get away to practice magic from now on." he requested of the girl.

"Sure, thing Harry, you can count on me." Myrtle winked at him.

"OK, thanks for that. I guess I'll try opening this up again then."

He looked for the snake effigy on the faucet and squinted his eyes a little, the same way he did in second year. "Open" he tried again, and the sinks began to hiss and move, opening up the chute that acted as the entrance to the chamber.

"The girl used to be able to call for stairs when she went up and down Harry." Myrtle chimed in just as he was about to leap his way down.

Harry attempted to call for "Stairs." and was please when a spiraling staircase made itself into reality at the command.

"Thanks Myrtle, remember, try to keep people out of here please." he said before making his descent.

After a liberal use of the levitation charm and some minor Transfiguration, Harry was marveling at the size of the beast he had killed two years ago. 'That thing is easily seventy or eighty feet. I always thought it was about sixty.' he thought to himself.

The beast showed no signs of decay, signifying the magic about it, protecting it from the elements in this dark, dank cavern. The rest of the chamber seemed to also look exactly how he had left it in second year. He made his way in front of the giant head bust of Slytherin where the snake had come out of his mouth.

'I am sure that there is more than just a resting place for his snake hidden down here.' Harry thought to himself. trying to think of the most appropriate way to unlock the head. He decided with how Riddle, AKA Voldemort had opened it back then.

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four.'

The mouth opened with large amounts of scraping noises. There was a long moment as Harry just stared at the statue head when a voice from inside called out. "What a ridiculous method of getting inside the study. You could have settled with a simple 'Open' you know!"

Harry was shocked that somebody else may be down here and drew his wand at the ready. 'Don't tell me that I am hearing the voice of Salazar Slytherin.' he panicked.

"And no." the unknown voice continued. "I will not speak to you!"

Whomever it was, Slytherin or not, Harry knew there must be a way to get over the pool of water and into the mouth of the bust. "Bridge." he commanded, and was rewarded with one, signifying that he had spoken snake language again. When the bridge reached him, he hesitantly made his way across, preparing himself for any possible threat soon to come.

"Oh yes, ignore what I say completely and enter anyways why don't you." the voice spoke again sarcastically. "I'd love another visitor, especially after my pet died and has left this place quiet, and the last human here was a silly little boy with visions of grandeur."

Harry may have not been too prideful, but he had had enough of the mocking tone of the voice and made the rest of the way into the head. When he entered, he discovered a study, and while looking around it for a threat, he instead found a portrait of a man with a snake wrapped around his shoulders. Said portrait was studying him after he stepped in.

"Well, you look sane at least." the man within it mused. "But so, did my other heir, and look how he turned out."

"You're Salazar Slytherin." Harry accused, pointing out the obvious.

The man rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am, as my portrait is so obviously labeled." He commented, and Harry took the time to notice that it was indeed labeled. "Honestly, this is why I've always hated children, you with your arrogant tones and your disrespect."

"If you hate children, then why found a school?" Harry asked, puzzled over the temperament of the man.

"It wasn't safe for magical children at the time at all. Don't you know anything about the burnings at all? The sarcasm replaced with disgust.

"Witch burning?" Harry inquired.

"As if the muggles were capable of actually burning a witch or wizard. No, but they had managed to kill quite a few magical children. They were especially successful with the burning of their own spawn if they turned out magical." It was the that the founder's eyes alighted in fury. "Honestly, burning children alive. They had the nerve to call us demons. Hogwarts was a haven for all magical children, so that they could make it into adulthood. They came here to hide themselves and learn how to defend themselves as well, it was another reason why I bred a Basilisk on the grounds." he explained.

"You don't leave a Basilisk that eats children in a school!" Harry yelled angrily back.

"She was meant to sleep until the school was ever under attack." The founder defended. "Basilisks are extremely hard to kill, and mine was ordered to protect the school from outside invaders. It is not my fault that Tom Riddle twisted my orders and made my pet go insane to fill out his own demented desires."

"It's a good thing she is dead then." Harry remarked, feeling slightly bad for the fallen serpent now. If she really was peaceful in her past, he couldn't hold what happened against her too much.

"Yes, Dead." Slytherin remarked. "And do you happen to know how my snake died?"

"I killed her with the Sword of Gryffindor." Harry replied.

The founder seemed to get indignant at that response. "My own heir killed our Basilisk with Godric's silly goblin made toothpick!?"

"I am not your heir." Harry tried correcting the man.

"You speak parseltongue." Slytherin told him carefully. "Only my direct descendants shouldbe able to speak it, I created the ability in the family through a good deal of magic. Only my blood can speak it, and as I have no desire to call Tom Riddle my heir, that means that it must be you."

"Sorry, it's just that I got blamed for the Basilisk attacks in my second year here." Harry explained.

"Well can you blame them? You do speak parseltongue. I assume you are in my house as well?" Slytherin asked.

"Gryffindor, actually."

"What is my heir doing in that bumbling idiot's house!" Slytherin exploded. That house of that reckless, moronic, immature excuse of a wizard? The whole reason I built this place was so that I could hide from that man's pranks and shenanigans. Always sabotaging my work, and all Helga did was laugh!"

The portrait caught Harry's skeptical look and continued going in on the house of the brave. "Did you think he was a noble, brave, and heroic man?" He continued. "That man never matured a day past eighteen. He was great at Transfiguration but cursed with never ending childhood."

"I'm pretty good at Transfiguration?" Harry tried to offer up an explanation for why he was in the house of red and gold. "The hat did suggest Slytherin, only I chose Gryffindor."

"And why would you ever go and do that?" Slytherin burst out. Who would want to live in a boring tower when they could live and see out their bedroom windows a grand underwater view of the Black lake!?"

"I was young and impressionable, and I was raised by muggles, so I was ignorant to everything magical. My friend wanted to go to Gryffindor and a boy I rather didn't like had gone to Slytherin already and I did not want to be stuck with him." Was Harry's explanation for that.

"I am Harry Potter by the way." Harry introduced himself, realizing that he hadn't yet.

"Salazar Slytherin, it's always good to meet family when you have been nearly completely alone for a thousand years." Slytherin replied. " How old are you anyhow?"

"Fourteen."

"Your eyes are definitely older." Slytherin responded after a moment of silence. "Well, you are my heir, feel free to return here whenever you like. My library and study are yours to use, only never take my books outside of the chamber itself." Slytherin gestured to a few bookshelves lined with old tomes.

"Thank you." Harry wasn't overwhelmed that he actually was the real heir of Slytherin. This would just be another help in him improving himself and getting himself ready for any further attempts on his life. "I'll try to return in a week or two." and with that Harry made his way back up to the school, contemplating and planning all that he could get done with his new hide away.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing

Chapter 4: Changes Seen

A/N: Still don't own Harry Potter, and I still recommend reading A Cadmean Victory if you haven't and are looking for a good fic. This chapter, we follow more into Harry's first official week back to the castle, so it could very well be boring. Hope you all enjoy!

Harry's next Monday at classes saw him running late to Herbology. He skidded to a halt just outside of Greenhouse three and threw himself through the door just as the bell rang.

Professor Sprout had just started taking roll and gestured for him to find a partner before she continued on. Ron and Hermione were already paired, as were Dean and Seamus, and Neville was working with Hannah Abbott today. Luckily for Harry it seemed that another Hufflepuff, Hannah's friend Susan Bones didn't have a partner yet either.

The red-haired girl gave Harry a smile and made room between her and Neville so that he could join them. "Running a bit on the late side there Potter?" she teased Harry with a smirking grin.

"Yes, I stayed up late trying to practice the Herbivicus charm. I don't know if you've read ahead yet but it's likely one of the things that the Professor will have us learning in the first couple of weeks."

Susan looked surprised that Harry had read ahead in a subject besides DADA. He had the image of a slacker jock to those of the rest of the school.

"I didn't know that you even liked Herbology, Harry." she said after a moment's pause.

"Well, I figure it's like gardening in the muggle-world, and I have plenty of experience with that. The subject isn't too difficult so I figured a little extra effort would easily up my grade."

"Trying to give your friend Granger a run for her money then?"

"While I doubt I can grasp the theory side of anything as well as she does, on the practical side, yes, I am." was Harry's quick response before he had to call himself as present for class. Soon everyone was called for and Professor Sprout decided to start of the lesson.

"All right everyone, welcome back to Herbology!" the plump woman said with enthusiasm and warmth. "Today, we will be doing a review of the fire-making spell, as well as the severing charm. If all goes well, we will get into the theory of the Herbivicus charm, a charm used to speed up the growth and blooming cycle of a plant. One partner each, please come up and grab a few mundane potted flowers to test each spell on."

When Sprout mentioned the Herbivicus charm, Harry just sent a knowing grin to Susan before he moved to go get their plants. "Told you." he said as he moved.

After having to endure the monstrosities that were Blast-Ended Skrewts during Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were enjoying their lunch time. "Honestly, how did Hagrid get those beasts approved by the Headmaster? I don't see any positives to raising those dastardly things." Hermione voiced her opinion on the Skrewts.

As usual, Ron was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to give a response greater than incoherent mumbling.

"Well, like you said to Malfoy, they may have parts that would be useful in Potions." Harry teased his bushy-haired friend.

Hermione looked slightly irritated at the jab, referring to when she had defended the skrewts during Hagrid's lesson. "You know full well Harry, that I only said that to shut that pure-blood ponce up and to show my support for Hagrid."

"Still though, they are a new species, as Hagrid said. They very well may end up useful for something. Snape, of all people in the country, would be able to find out of course. Here's to hoping one of the buggers gets him with a stinger."

"Professor Snape, and I suppose you may be right about that. Anyways, are you excited for your first Ancient Runes class?" Hermione changed the subject, veering off into a much more pleasant talk about class.

Harry was more than all right with the change of topic. Today while the rest of the class was doing a review, he was sure that he would have to sit the end of third year exams to show that he could actually keep up with the class. He was feeling rather confident after all of his summer reading, but there was never being too careful. "Yes, I'm rather anxious about the test Professor Babbling will give me later. I appreciate you letting me see your third-year notes over the weekend though. I think I will get by with at least an A."

Hermione smiled at him. "It was no problem Harry. Do you want me to quiz you on somethings before lunch ends?" she enthused.

"No, that's alright." Harry replied, shaking his head slowly. "I don't want to burn my brain out before we even get to class. I wouldn't mind going over Arithmancy with you later tonight though, if you don't mind?"

"Oh absolutely! I remember most of the questions from the end of the year exam for that anyways, so I'm sure we could do a great review!"

"Thanks Hermione." Harry smiled as he got back to his lunch, making himself a simple chicken sandwich. Ron was still eating and shaking his head as if he thought his two best friends were raving lunatics.

Soon the bell rang, and Harry and Hermione made their way off to the Runes classroom, while Ron morosely trooped his way to the Divination tower. When they made it to class and took seats in the front, Professor Babbling addressed the students. " Welcome back everybody. Luckily, we had no failures, and we have an additional student this year. Harry will be taking the end of year exam while you lot take a review quiz." She said in a bubbly tone, clearly passionate about what she taught. With a wave of the witch's wand, test sheets flew out to every desk spot except Harry's. "You all may begin, you may use the entire first period block for the test, time is up when the bell rings." She said. She grabbed another sheet from her desk and dropped it off at Harry's spot. "This test is longer, so you can have the entire two periods for it Harry. Good luck." The Professor smiled to him.

Harry tried to smile back, but as confident as he felt, tests always made him a little bit nervous. It wasn't until he got through with the first five questions and found that he did know the answers that he calmed himself down. The first ten questions were just the runes for the numbers one through ten. 'This should be easy.'

It was the ringing of the first bell and the hustling of his classmates that had Harry filling out his very last question. He got into the back of the line of people handing in their quizzes, and Professor Babbling was shocked to see him at her desk. "Oh, did you have a question Harry?" she asked when he got to her desk.

Harry merely shook his head and placed his exam in front of her. "I've finished, Professor." he told her, to the Professor's shock.

It was a few moments later that the witch regathered herself.

"Well, why don't you take a seat or use the rest of the break in between the bell to go visit the loo or something? I won't be grading your exam until tonight, so there's no need to wait around, I'll kick class off a few minutes after the bell rings to give you a bit of an extra break."

Harry did just that and ran to the bathroom and relieved himself. When he sat himself back down with Hermione, she immediately began interrogating him.

"So? How do you think you did?" she asked.

"Honestly, I feel like I got at least a low Exceeds Expectations on that. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I guess all the summer work paid off."

"That's really good Harry! You finished quickly too, Last year I had to use at least half of the second period to finish mine!" she praised, truly impressed with this academically improved version of her best friend.

"OK class, for those of you who took the quiz, I'll hand you a sheet at random to grade and we will go through them together. Remember, no need to worry as this is just a review. Harry, you can follow along with Hermione as she grades a sheet." Professor Babbling settled the class and began to hand sheets back out.

At the end of the review, their time was up, and the final bell for the day rang. Harry and Hermione made their way straight down to the great hall for dinner, already having planned to go to the library and go over Arithmancy after they ate.

The next day, right after History of Magic, Harry and Hermione split from Ron to go to Arithmancy. Ron didn't complain this time, and even bragged to them how he had a free period, and they did not.

After entering the classroom and Professor Vector took roll, the class went very similar to how his Ancient Runes one did, him taking an end of the year exam, and his classmates taking a review. The only difference was that the exam took up the entire period, and Arithmancy was not a double block.

After what Harry thought was another successful class on his part, he had to spend a single period with the lovely Professor Snape in Potions. After that, it was the first Transfiguration class of the year, luckily only a single block today, the kind of double being Thursday morning.

"Today, we will be transfiguring hedgehogs into pincushions." The Scottish Professor flicked her wand and a cage with some of the mentioned animals landed at each student's desk. 'This type of transfiguration, will be some of the hardest that we cover this year."

After the Professor showed the class the proper incantation, wand movements, and execution of the spell, the amount of clucking escalated throughout the room as each student set about trying to change their birds into mammals.

Harry, wanting to see how much his studying of theory would help, set to straight away. With the visualization of the little hedgehog turning into a sewing tool, drawing of a sort of curvy w turned on it's right side, and a soft muttering of the incantation "Scabiosifors" Harry powered his spell through his new wand. He was all too happy to see the spell work absolutely perfectly, his new wand responding to his magic and his intent better than ever before.

Professor McGonagall was walking by him and Hermione when he did so and gasped in pleased shock. "Well done Mr. Potter! Twenty Points to Gryffindor for a wonderful transfiguration, may I?" The professor grabbed his pincushion at his gesture to examine it, looking for any tells that this was transfigured from an animal.

The usually stern Professor smiled as she placed the pincushion back in front of Harry. "A truly wonderful first attempt Mr. Potter. I cannot find any defects at all. If you can properly return the hedgehog back to its original state, that will be another ten points to Gryffindor." she encouraged.

Harry swallowed, not used to being the center of attention in Transfiguration. After clearing his throat, he pointed his wand back down at the pincushion, well aware that everyone was watching. Imagining the hedgehog, the way it was, and a quick "Reparifarge" later, a perfectly healthy-looking hedgehog seemed glad to be back in its original state.

"As I said Mr. Potter, ten points to Gryffindor. Well done, if you could continue to practice, an find yourself capable, feel free to assist those around you." The Professor told him as she moved on to the other side of the room.

"How did you do that Harry!?" Hermione asked him as soon as the Professor was gone.

"Well, you know how I finally ready all of the theory I should have in the subject, but didn't until this summer? I just applied that and spent a little extra time on the visualization part before casting the incantation." Harry told her, hoping his words would actually be helpful. "You just have to really wand the hedgehog to become a pincushion. I'm sorry, it's hard to explain."

"No, no, that makes sense Harry, I may not have been focusing hard enough." Hermione assured him with a hesitant smile. Harry knew that the brilliant girl wasn't used to him being so good at classes thanks to the past three years of working with him.

It wasn't until the end of the class that Hermione made some progress, but not fully completing the spell to the same extent that Harry did. Harry had continued to do the spell right a few times before doing what McGonagall aid and tried helping Neville as best he could.

All the students who could not complete the spell were rewarded with a foot-long essay on the spell and what they think they may have been doing wrong to be completed Thursday morning, where they would be continuing the class.

As they were making their way down to dinner Hermione asked Harry for help on the spell that night. "Would you mind joining me in the library tonight Harry?" she asked.

Harry's response turned into a teasing tone. "Is this going to be a recurring theme Miss Granger?"

Hermione just blushed at the lopsided grin he sent her way. "I just want to make sure I can get the spell right. She said quietly.

"Relax Hermione, yes, I'll come to the library with you. I want to pull out a new book on some defence spells anyways." He reassured his friend.

It was at this time that Ron chimed in. "Honestly you two. It's only the third day of classes and you're off running to the library every night now. Harry mate, when are you going to take some time to relax!?"

Harry then realized that he was letting Hermione essentially monopolize his time. He didn't regret that, he was starting to enjoy all the learning he was forcing himself to do, but he did feel bad that he had sort of been neglecting Ron. He also knew that his friends could still feel that he was tense about something. Harry was still coming to terms with the spell that he used to kill that wizard at the World Cup, and he knew his friends noticed his attitude change. He was acting less and less carefree than he used to be at school.

"Sorry mate, how about You, me, and the twins try and get some people to head down to the pitch Friday night and have a pick-up game?" Harry tried to appease his first friend.

Ron visibly brightened at that idea. "Yeah mate, that sounds great!" Thankfully the ginger-haired boy was easily distracted. His only hope of fooling Hermione was to pass off his change of self in relation to the events of last year and his newfound desire to learn more magic.

The trio of friends continued their way down to dinner and the subject was dropped.

The next morning Harry and Hermione had Arithmancy and Charms, and in the afternoon, Gryffindor had their first DADA lesson under Professor Moody.

During lunch before class, everyone was talking about what they thought it would end up being like. Neville was so nervous from what some of the older years, he just had to ask around. "Has anyone else heard that Professor Moody has been covering the unforgivable curses in his older classes?" The blonde asked, looking up and down the table at his year mates. Fred and George were the ones who answered him though.

"We will not confirm-"

"Nor deny your accusations."

"But we will cert-"

"Tainly say that the Professor"

"Known as Mad-eye"

"Is like no other Professor."

They said in their twin speak before they left the fourth years, leaving every one of them not entirely sure which twin was which.

Once lunch was finished, the Gryffindors made their way to the DADA classroom.

As they all entered the classroom, they noticed that the Professor was nowhere to be seen. Since the teacher wasn't in the room, Malfoy and his gang thought it would be the perfect time to antagonize the Gryff's.

"Hey there scar head, I heard that we will be dueling in this class this year. Are you ready to show the world once more something that you are pathetic at?" Malfoy sneered.

Harry just scoffed. "Really Malfoy, it's like you forget all of run ins in the past. First year you don't even show up to our duel, and second, all you could do was summon a snake, which turned out I had better control over than you could." was his response. "Next time daddy teaches you a spell early, make sure that you aren't flinging it at one of your betters in those matters." Harry sneered back.

The Gryffindor's and a couple of the nicer Slytherins outside of Malfoys group laughed heartedly at that. Malfoy was not really considered a dueling expert in anyone's circle.

Trying to recover from the quick comeback, Malfoy brought up another topic. "Yeah, well, I heard that you got lost at the World Cup, that you got knocked out during the panic of the fires. Tell me, saw a dementor again?"

"No Malfoy." Harry gritted, already re-imagining the dead body of the man he killed being flung away from him. "I did see a man with blonde hair in black robes setting things on fire. Tell me, did your father have fun at his little after party?"

The blonde ponce recoiled at that. "Really Potter, resorting to slander now. I'll have you know that my father had absolutely nothing to do with that. As if prancing around with mudbloods and blood-traitors wasn't enough for you." The Slytherin retreated, back to his ilk, already a simpering Pansy Parkinson trying to bring the boy's ego back up.

Harry was wondering where he got off accusing others of slander when he practiced it every day until he noticed that Hermione had her hand holding onto his wand arm the entire time that he was interacting with Malfoy. He caught her eye and looked down at her hand, then back up to her, his eyebrows raised.

Hermione immediately flushed red and released him. "Ignore him, Harry. he isn't worth it." She managed to get out around her blushing.

Everyone took their seats after the altercation, and Professor Moody entered the room from the hallway door, his arrival announced by the sound of his wooden leg thunking off of the floor. The man was even more unsettling up close. His nose had a sizeable chunk missing, no doubt a result of a run in with dark magic, and his prosthetic eye was spinning all over the place, momentarily locking onto each student in turn.

"As you found out at the welcoming feat, I am Alastor Moody." the grizzled ex-Auror ground out. "I served as an Auror against the Dark Lord and I've seen almost every aspect of the Dark Arts and not from a practitioner's perspective." As he spoke, he retrieved three large jars and placed them on a cleared off table in front of his desk. Each jar contained a very large spider.

Harry could hear Ron mumbling to himself something about hairy eight-legged freaks on his left.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe going into the practical side gets the point across far better than anything in your texts. Nothing though, can truly prepare you for when you are the one on the receiving end of any dark spell. I would know, I've lost an eye, a leg, and more to them."

The man took the top off of one of the jars and levitated the spider inside onto the desk.

"There are three curses that are viewed as the worst of the worst, and result in a one-way ticket to Azkaban." Ron and Harry exchanged a worried glance. It seemed that Neville had heard correctly. "Now, can anyone name any of them?" Moody asked to the room.

"The Imperius." Malfoy with a slight sneer.

Moody homed in on the pale-haired boy. "You'd know all about that one wouldn't you lad? Your slimy father used it as an excuse to get out of a sentence, and somehow managed to convince the entire Wizengamot. I'm sure he bragged to you all about that."

Malfoy utilized common sense for once in his life and decided not to answer the Professor and remain silent.

Moody returned his attention onto the spider moving about freely on his desk while continuing on. "Nasty curse, the Imperius. The victim losses all sense of self, and control of their own actions. The ministry truly did have terrible trouble with it, because it led to memory loss on the victim's part if done right. It is, however, the only one of the three that a strong-minded wizard can fight off."

The Professor raised his wand at the spider on the desk, and incanted "Imperio" with a growl.

To the amusement of most, the spider was forced to do odd, eight-legged cartwheels across the class. "You think that is funny do you!?" the Professor bellowed with a booming voice, before he directed the thing to move closer to the students, effectively silencing them. "Make no mistake, this could possibly be the worst of all three if it is used effectively. I could make another wizard murder his entire family and make him live with that guild forever. At no time should this curse be taken lightly!"

The class fell deadly silent at that.

"Another curse." Moody growled out to the room.

"The Cruciatus Curse" Neville whispered. He looked the palest that anyone had ever seen him at.

"Yes Mr. Longbottom, the torture curse, and the incantation is Crucio." Harry flinched at the incantation, finally knowing for sure what he had been hit with at the world cup. Moody paused looking at Neville's face before continuing speaking. "I will not be demonstrating that spell today in class."

At this point, the Professor scooped his spider back off the table and into its jar.

"And the last one?" he asked after turning back around.

"The Killing Curse." Ron murmured.

"The Killing Curse!" Moody confirmed. "Correct, it cannot be deflected, or magically blocked. The only known methods of circumventing this curse is with a physical shield or dodging it completely. The only known survivor to this curse is our very own Mr. Potter." The Professor regarded Harry for a moment, his gaze lingering on his scar, a look of slight suspicion in his eyes. "I will not be telling you the incantation for this spell."

That was probably for the best, as Malfoy and his lot would be tempted to practice, and students from the other houses might end up being found dead all over the grounds. Harry though, he did not need to hear the incantation to know it. he was very familiar with those two words that gave a wizard the power over life and death.

'Avada Kedavra.' he thought to himself. 'Such a simple way to kill someone.' His mind drifting to the World Cup, and to Peter Pettigrew, but also, to Tom Marvolo Riddle.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry Potter and the Tide's Changing 

Chapter 5: Coming to Terms

A/N: Still don't own Harry Potter, though I want to. This chapter was a challenge, as I am not good with emotions in any respect. Harry has a meaningful chat this chapter, and hopefully the next can be set up a little more exciting now that this one is over. Hope you enjoy!

They were walking their way down to dinner when Hermione tugged on Harry's wrist, forcing him to increase his own stride.

"Come on, I want to check on Neville. He seems out of it still from that lesson." The bushy-haired girl said as she turned to catch the blonde Gryffindor.

Harry looked to their front, mind on the boy now as well. The boy was usually forgotten by his year mates, him being the most forgettable. Ironic, seeing as the boy was forgetful himself.

"OK, we will ask him what's wrong, but we won't push, OK?" Harry said a little sternly, knowing just how pushy Hermione could get when she wanted to know the answer to something.

Hermione huffed in exasperation at her raven-haired friend. "Harry, it's probably something to do with the curses! He might have had a family member in the war that got effected by one or all of those spells!"

Harry stopped walking altogether at that phrasing from the girl. He weighed much more than he used to, so it was a shock to Hermione, her momentum stopping completely with Harry's feet planting. She turned to face him, quite annoyed.

"Harry come on, I just sai-" she came up short as she took in the blank look on his face.

"Wha.. What's wrong Harry?" she continued.

A sad chuckle just escaped Harry's lip, followed by a similar smile. "Did you ever think to wonder how that class would affect me, Hermione?"

Hermione looked confused for all of a second before she slowly brought her hand up to her mouth in horror. "Oh my god. Harry I am so sorry, I didn't mean to be that insensitive about your own past. Do you want to talk about earlier as well?" was the panicked damage control.

Harry just shook his head. "No, that's OK. I think I just want to be alone for a little bit, go find a quiet place for a little while. I'll see you in the common room." With that, Harry walked off, leaving a still stunned Hermione in the hall, the rest of the Gryffindors having caught up with her.

"Hey, where's Harry going?" Ron asked as he walked up to Hermione.

Hermione did not respond quickly enough, goading Ron to prod her in the ribs to snap her out of it. She looked to her other friend and shook her thoughts from her mind. "I may have said something stupid."

Ron openly laughed at this. "You, something stupid? Yeah right."

Myrtle appeared to be out of her bathroom for once, a rare occurrence. The bathroom itself was not one that was generally ever used by the girls of Hogwarts. The only people he knew to do so were Hermione, Ron, and himself back in second year.

'And Ginny.' He thought to himself.

After opening the chamber again, he took the time to vanish the younger girls' footsteps out of the dust with a cleaning spell he had picked up. 'Don't need the reminder of that day any more than necessary.'

A while later, he made it to the main chamber, and called for the tongue bridge to the study. As he entered, he called out "I'm back!" to his supposed ancestor.

"Yay." he heard from within. "Company."

Harry eagerly strode across the tongue, glad to have some time away from the other students and wanting to try out some magic in the chamber.

"So, you came back I see." Slytherin drawled. "That seemed fast. Decided to skip one of your classes?

"It's been almost a week." Harry said, his head tilted to the side. "And classes are over for the day.

"And how do you expect me to know that?" the wizard grumbled from his portrait, mean mugging Harry. "There are no time keeping devices in here, whether they be a clock or a calendar. The last time I was told the year, it was the mid twentieth century."

"The century is a few years from ending." Harry told him, trying to be helpful.

"I have no care for the time in actuality. I am a portrait, I exist until I do not." That made Harry wonder how bad Gryffindor was if he was supposed to be the childish one.

"For those who may find themselves needing more time though, I have a pleasant surprise." Salazar gestured to his desk in the room. When Harry saw what the man was trying to show him, his draw dropped open.

"A time-turner." He had used one with Hermione last year, that was true, but that one required a lot of forms and approval from the ministry. Here, he had one ready for use, probably the most valuable thing in the chamber.

"Yes." Salazar said proudly. "It cannot be removed from the Chamber, however. I had to enchant it to remain here, otherwise Godric would have wreaked all sorts of havoc."

"Was he really that bad?"

Salazar snorted. "Of course he was. Everything was a competition to that man. Him and Rowena even went gallivanting, trying to create their own secret room within the castle to one up me."

"What secret room?" Harry asked.

"They called it the Room of Requirement." Salazar explained. "I never found it, nor have they ever found my Chamber."

"Any idea what it is and where they put it?"

"Apparently they made it to provide the resident inside of it with whatever they needed at the time. The only area that I could pinpoint it down to be was the seventh floor, but beyond that, I have no idea where they put it. It is not like you need it though, when you have my Chamber to complete your purposes." Slytherin said as he gestured proudly around his study.

Harry chuckled at his ancestor's theatrics. "This is true, and I do have some magic that I would like to practice."

"Out into the hall with you then so you don't make a mess of my things. Take the time-turner out there with you. It has a twelve-hour limit, but you can use it after classes I am sure."

It was a good idea, and not one that Harry was going to pass up on anytime soon. He made his way into the main part of the chamber again, looking towards the dead Basilisk. Raising his wand at the serpent, he made a sideways v wand motion and incanted. "Reducto!" A blue light flew at the Basilisk, but it didn't even so much as twitch.

'Magically resistant hide.. Right.' He thought to himself.

He then turned towards the statues laid out about the chamber and decided to work on his aiming with the spell. Twenty minutes later, Harry had worked up a sweat taking out every statue in sight. While he was catching his breath, he groaned when he realized that Salazar would require him to repair all of the statues before he left for the night.

Another half hour later, a completely knackered Harry returned into the study room of the Chamber. He was rather pleased with himself. Outside of training to cast the Patronus Charm, he had never applied so much time and energy in practicing magic. He had varied the levels of power he put into each Reductor Curse, enabling different levels of destruction, and he had really worn himself thin repairing all of the statues he blasted.

As he walked back into the study, he was immediately accosted by Slytherin. "Done destroying the grandest room in the castle then?"

"I fixed all of your snake statues." Harry defended. "Do you know anything about using Transfiguration and Conjuration in dueling?"

"Of course, I am Salazar Slytherin." The painting replied, as if that explained everything there was to know.

"But you said that Gryffinor was the expert." Harry elaborated.

"Just because Godric was better than me in that field of magic, does not mean that I am not qualified to teach a teenager a thing or two." The portrait glared down at him.

"Well, I haven't really used it outside of class. The last time I was in a fight, I won rather accidentally." Harry admitted.

"Well, at the very least, you won the fight. How did you win anyways?" The portrait inquired.

At the question, Harry paused. He began remembering the events of the Cup, and the glazed over eyes of the man that he burned into nothing. He was snapped out of his musings when his ancestor addressed him again.

"Well? You can tell me if it was anything illicit. I killed my fair share of wizards back in the day when fighting for my life. You should have nothing to be ashamed about making sure that you were the one to walk away alive." Salazar said as encouragingly as he could.

Harry snapped out of his reminiscing and stuttered out a response. "I managed to cast the Ki-Killing Curse, and it hit properly."

There was a long pause before Salazar said something. "You managed the Killing Curse at fourteen?"

The man in the portrait sounded skeptical if anything. "Umm. Yes, the man had hit me with the Cruciatus at one point and I was scared beyond belief. I remembered the incantation and what the spell was supposed to do, and I guess I just willed it to happen." Was Harry's attempt at an explanation.

"Show me."

This shocked Harry, not expecting to have to recreate the night as proof. "I can't cast that spell on school grounds! It may not have been looked at badly when you were alive, but it is illegal to cast at another human being now!"

Salazar merely gestured his hand as if to bat Harry's worries aside. "Relax, we are beyond the school wards, so any magic cast here cannot be tracked. You shouldn't worry about anyone checking your wand for spells unless you do something to make them want to investigate you, correct?"

"Harry blinked at that. "We are beyond the wards here? How does that work?"

Salazar scoffed. "I helped create the school and was keyed into the wards as well as any Headmaster ever would be. It was simple enough to bypass them and create a secret entrance into the school when you helped weave the network."

"Well, either way, I don't plan on casting that curse again anytime soon. I cast it in a life or death situation, and I still feel guilty for even doing it." Harry said, his face turning sour as he continued thinking of the man he killed. He had still not truly come to terms with it. He was the 'Golden Boy' of Gryffindor, yet he used a Dark, Unforgivable curse to kill a man just so he could live. If he had known how to cast an effective stunner, he wouldn't have been in that situation.

"Well if you truly aren't comfortable with a repeat casting, that's fine, but do you want to talk about it?" Slytherin asked in a soft tone, something rare for the man... Err. Portrait.

Harry sighed. "I.. I just can't help feeling like a terrible person for killing that man the way I did. I mean, he was trying to hurt me, and may have killed me as well, but what right did I have to finish him off like that?"

"You mean what right did you have to live, after a raving lunatic started casting lethal spells at you first you mean?" Salazar drawled, making his opinion on the matter very apparent.

"You don't get it though. You are already Dark! The entire time I have been aware of the Magical World, I have been told how wrong it is to be Dark, how wrong it is to use spells that inflict lethal damage! Now I've gone and killed a man with the most Dark curse known to wizard kind!" Harry shouted back at the portrait.

"Watch your tone child!" Salazar cut back. "What is wrong with leaning towards the darker side of magic? Plenty of healing spells are derived from the Dark Arts. Should they be discounted just because they are of a darker nature? The Killing Curse was originally designed as a means to slaughter livestock quickly and humanely. What part of that is so wrong!? You seem to be confusing Dark with evil."

Harry shook his head in denial. "So, what if some Dark magics can heal, when the rest of them are geared towards causing harm!?"

"Dark magic that causes harm are spells designed to be used specifically in a fight to the death. They are meant to ensure that you have a good chance of survival. One does not merely stun an enemy and go on their merry way. You finish your opponents off, to ensure that they do not continue to haunt you and yours!" Salazar spat.

"Tell me Harry, would you prefer to be the one dead? The one who no longer exists?" He asked in a softer tone, looking down at his heir sadly.

Harry, who's emotions of that night finally caught up with him, choked out a sobbing response. "N-No! I'm glad that I didn't die! But that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about killing him!"

"That guilt shows that you are not evil though, so why worry yourself about you leaning towards darker magics. One should not deny themselves of who they are." Salazar tried to reason.

"How can I not be evil!? I killed a man!"

"Harry, you did it in self-defence, did you not?" The portrait asked.

"Well obviously, it's not like I went out looking to fight the man." Harry responded, wondering where Slytherin was going with this.

"Well all right then. So, who cast the first possibly lethal curse?"

"The man I killed did, obviously." Harry snarked, a little impatient with the current topic.

The rude tone seemed to glance off of Salazar that time, as if Harry wasn't being petulant.

"And, in defence of yourself, you cast a curse you didn't truly know, in the hopes of saving your own life, correct?" he asked the teen.

"Well, yes, of course it was in defence."

"Then, tell me, how does your using that curse in that situation make you evil?" Salazar asked, a small smile gracing his lips.

Harry contemplated what his ancestor just said. In truth, everything he said did make sense. While he himself had only been taught the black and white versions of the world during his stay in the wizarding world, he knew all too well the gray areas of the Muggle world at least. How the Dursley's could get away with their abuse and neglect of him, just by convincing neighbors and authorities that he was a no-good trouble making orphan. He knew how he could do everything correct, even politely while residing in that family's house, and still be treated like dirt underneath their shoes for no other reason than that he was magical.

With those thoughts, Harry began to feel a bit better over the events of the World Cup. Yes, he had killed a man, but that man had been out to apparently torture and kill him first. After the sad lot that Harry had pulled in life so far, was it too much to ask just to be able to continue living?

"I guess you have a point." He addressed the portrait. "I may have been acting too irrationally in regard to the magic I cast, and that night in general."

Salazar smiled back down at the raven-haired boy. "It is all right. No one ever truly takes their first kill too well. I'm surprised you didn't take it worse than you had. Have you already talked your thoughts over with someone else? Talking usually helps one come to terms with these sorts of things."

"No, you are the first person, portrait or living, that I've talked about this with. My old wand, I snapped it all because I casted the Killing curse with it, and I didn't want it to be used as evidence if the body was somehow found. Now I realize i may have been a little too quick on that, seeing as I burned the body to ash, but this new wand seems to respond better."

Salazar raised his eyebrows at this. "You haven't talked about this with anyone and you have been just letting it eat away at you from inside? That was foolish Harry, and do tell me more about your wand situation, while that was also foolish, it seems to have been to your benefit."

"Well, I thought I would be thrown into Azkaban if I let anyone know I killed a man. As for the wand, well, I snapped my Holly and Phoenix feather wand because I didn't want it used as evidence like I said. I also had the wand of the man who attacked me, but I also snapped that. The wand maker I went to noticed that I seemed to lean towards a similar build to the dead man's wand, which was a combination of Yew and Dragon heartstring. I eventually left the store with one of similar build, just with a different species as the provider, Ukrainian Ironbelly to be exact." Harry explained.

"Well, that could be a sign of growth, or it could be a sign that casting the killing curse changed your leaning towards specific natures of magic. Either way, you now have an extremely potent and powerful combination in your wand." Slytherin said, with what seemed to be a small amount of pride in his eyes.

"How about we move on to happier topics?" Salazar asked as Harry wiped his face of any tears that totally didn't happen. "You were asking about Transfiguration and Conjuration in duels. I have a couple of texts in here that should not be beyond your skill level, and if they are, you have a time-turner to study some more."

"OK, I'm tired after all the casting I did though, so I will only read the book. I still have classes tomorrow." Harry said as he moved towards the bookshelves to find said mentioned texts.

"Well no rush, it is early in the school year, and we have plenty of time." Salazar said before naming the titles that Harry should look for.

Over the next few weeks before the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, Harry would spend a significant amount of time in the Chamber, unknowingly giving himself a fighting chance for what was to come.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Tri-Wizard Tournament

A/N: Ok, as always, I own none of this, and these are simply my adaptations of J.K's world, mixed with the minds of other writers. As always, if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, I apologize, I do m best to get rid of them during editing, but nobody is perfect. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Even with Harry slipping into the Chamber every day, October came quickly enough. Every day he would give himself another six hours to work with by using Slytherin's time-turner. Regardless of his trips back in time, the leaves of the trees surrounding the castle began to change, and cold wind made itself known to the inhabitants of Hogwarts.

No matter how quickly time flew for Harry, apparently for the rest of the student body, it was going at a snail's pace. The Tri-Wizard tournament and the excitement that followed it made it difficult for the other students to focus on anything else outside of classes.

The reactions of all the houses may have differed, but even within Gryffindor, there were three separate factions to be a part of. Ron, Seamus, and a vast majority of the rest of the house fell into the first, those who were determined to enter themselves into the tournament. Then faction two made up people like Neville and Hermione, who could not help but be a little interested in the new experiences to come. Finally, group three, filled with just Harry, a boy who couldn't be bothered with eternal glory or riches, already being famous and rich as it is.

Today was October the thirtieth, and soon, the contingents from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons should be arriving. There was a feast planned in their honor for that evening, something that Seamus had crowed excitedly a few places at the Gryffindor table away from Harry.

Harry had put everyone else out of his mind, staying firm to his book, a transfiguration text. He only glanced away towards Hermione, who was scribbling fiercely her own notes on what appeared to be Charms work. He also noticed some pumpkin juice making its way towards him, courtesy of the clumsiness of one Katie Bell. He absently vanished the liquid coming towards him, not noting Katie's surprise at his use of the spell.

Salazar had told him that he had certainly inherited his father's gift with Transfiguration. The founder was quite touchy about his heir having a similarity with Godric, was proud of Harry's excellence none the less. Unfortunately, the areas outside of Potions that his ancestor was a master at were labeled mostly forbidden in modern times by the Ministry.

That was something that Salazar was most indignant about, considering a majority of the studies had nothing to do with causing harm to other witches or wizards. Salazar was adamant that Ravenclaw would have been even more upset than he, something about magics being all about power and intent, and it was something that Harry could agree with. As long as his intentions weren't too out of line, he had no issue with most magics that Slytherin lectured about.

Harry was currently working on his own little pet project. He was trying to adapt the bird conjuring spell to conjure something else. He didn't want it to be too difficult and kept it as close to a bird as possible. Harry had decided to play homage to his favorite Potions professor and change it to summon bats.

"Vespertilis" Harry incanted firmly, making a swooping upside-down arch with his wand.

He was met with partial success, while he could perform the bird conjuring spell well enough, a sixth-year spell, he was having trouble getting the modifications for his own just right. Instead of a perfect bat coming into existence, Harry managed a headless, white one, that at least was still capable of uncoordinated flight.

The deformed creature made its way across the table, landing in front of Hermione, who poked it curiously with her wand. It evaporated in black mist. Harry scratched his head in confusion, still trying to figure out how he couldn't get the adaptation to work. 'Guess I should study the nature and anatomy of bats more.' he mused to himself.

Hermione shot him a weak smile after the bat disappeared. She was a little miffed that when she tried to rebuke him in classes for not trying hard enough or paying attention, he would perform the mentioned spell perfectly, or had an answer on the tip of his tongue in the case a teacher's attention was brought on to him. Harry knew that Hermione was trying to come to terms with the fact that Harry was much more studious that she was used to and had no explanation to his effortless success in classes.

Considering that Harry was only excelling so well due to the time-turner, he didn't hold that against her. He did hold against her the constant nagging and interrogation he got from her when it came to her prodding into matter's that did not concern her, like how he was finding the time to get so far ahead of everyone else.

Harry tried to be as patient with her as possible, knowing that the girl was used to being the best academically out of their year. Harry doing so well without any help from her more and more frequently was coming as a surprise for her, and he was sure that she would adapt to his new self eventually.

He returned her smile and went back to working on his spell.

"Vespertilis" he repeated, attempting to flow more magic into the spell.

He was rewarded with an extra deformed bat, but at least they were both darker in color that time.

'They were a little better formed at least.' he thought to himself as Katie set his creations aflame as they began rustling her hair and disturbing her meal. There had seemed to also have been something resembling a head this time on this attempt. Hermione had snorted at the show.

'I'd like to see her create a new spell.' Harry thought a little peeved. Between everyone's obsession with the tournament, and Hermione's reaction to his change in behavior he had found himself alone more often than he had grown accustomed to at Hogwarts. it reminded him of when he was just the freak under the stairs.

It made it easier to delve deeper into advanced magic, but that just continued the growing rift that was his friendships with Ron and Hermione both.

"At what time do you think the other schools will be arriving?" Alicia asked from across the table.

"I'm not so sure." Was Angelina's response. "I just wonder how they will be getting here."

A gasp of excitement caught everyone's attention. The random student who had uttered the noise was staring out the window towards the direction of the Black Lake.

"What is that?" Dean asked from over Harry's shoulder, apparently, he was the unfortunate sod with a good view out the window.

Harry looked out as well to find out what the fuss was about. All he could make out was some carriage in the air, being pulled by what he thought were flying horses, heading straight for the Hogwarts grounds.

The coach was a pale blue and decorated in what Harry typically thought something French would be. It passed by the central tower, disappearing out of view, and Harry returned to his book, putting it out of his mind.

Someone must have alerted the staff, because Dumbledore and a contingent of teachers were making their way out of the Great Hall.

Harry was not afforded peace to his book for long, as another excited voice drew the attention of all those who had not followed the staff out of the hall. "Something's happening to the lake!" a first year Hufflepuff had squeaked rather loudly.

Students excluding Harry fought their way towards the windows to get a better view.

"It's bubbling up! someone exclaimed.

"It looks like a ship's mast is coming up out of the water."

"It must be Durmstrang." A Ravenclaw prefect announced.

"Me mam mentioned that the school is somewhere in Scandinavia." Seamus piped in from the Gryffindor table.

"If everyone could find their seats at their house tables!" the voice of Dumbledore, magnified by his wand to his throat as he returned to the hall. "Let us leave a good impression on our guests."

The scramble that followed left Harry squished tightly between Katie and a sixth-year girl he did not know very well. His attempts to remove himself from human contact were met with little success by the time the new arrivals at Hogwarts made their entrances.

The students from Durmstrang showed up in what could only be described as matching cold-weather uniforms, made from brown fur coats and fuzzy hats. As they entered, a silver-haired, mean looking man followed the students in, with his arms wrapped around the shoulders of one remaining student.

"That's Victor Krum!" Ron hissed down the table, admiration locked in his eyes.

"Igor!" Dumbledore welcomed, arms outspread and eyes twinkling beneath his glasses. He was met with a jovial chuckle, as the man relinquished Krum and met the aged wizard for a brief hug in greeting.

"Madame Maxime is on her way, she is relaying some extra instructions to your Groundskeeper about her horses." the foreign professor announced in surprisingly unaccented English. Dumbledore simply nodded and gestured with his head for the other headmaster to take a seat up at the head table.

Harry let his attention return to his book at this point, decidedly over the excitement of the events to come. He wasn't roused out of his book once again until Katie elbowed him after he summoned another group of deformed bats to terrorize her.

"You're not acting like all these other idiots." she glared at him, gesturing around the table with her head.

He looked around and noticed that most of the other boys had their eyes fixated on a rather pretty platinum blonde from the French who had just started seating themselves at the Ravenclaw table.

Harry just shrugged and proceeded to continue practicing his new spell. Another attempt left Katie being terrorized, and ultimately her bullying Harry into giving the practice a break until he could no longer terrorize other students.

At one point, the food that Harry had clearly not been paying enough attention to, as he was now left hungry, disappeared. He had missed the majority of the feast with him having his face in his book.

"Now that our guests have arrived, and we are all fed and watered, it is time to get to the main event of the year." Dumbledore announced from behind the head table, before making his way to the lectern at the head of the hall. "It is time for the Tri-Wizard Tournament to begin, but first, the rules."

The Headmaster's words were mostly lost on the students, as everyone's eyes were drawn to the large goblet being brought in by a couple of Ministry wizards. The artifact had blue, crackling flames spewing from its basin, and Harry could see Ron eying it with obvious desire. The ginger-haired boy's want of stepping out of his older brother's shadows made apparent in that moment.

"First, let it be clear, that no student under the age of seventeen is allowed to enter the tournament." The hall immediately erupted into groans of annoyance, and in some cases, outrage. Harry was certain that he had heard the almost seventeen Weasley twins swear rather loudly.

"I have," Dumbledore continued, "to ensure that no mishaps take place, taken the liberty of drawing an age line around the goblet of fire here. Aside from this specific rule, the tournament will proceed as it always has. Those who wish to enter, may merely write their names and the names of their school on a slip of paper, and place it into the goblet before tomorrow evening's feast, where it will announce each school's champion."

Most every student at every table began frantically searching for slips of paper right in that instance. Harry had to pull his book out of the way of all of the quills and ink bottles making an appearance on the table, wary of a spill.

With the ensuing chaos caused by the announcement, and the following dismissal from the Headmaster, Harry decided a visit to the chamber would be better off than returning to the noisy Gryffindor common room.

When Harry made his appearance in Salazar's study, his ancestor made a comment on the spell that he had already been working on.

"I'm glad you gave up trying to use butterflies for your spell, they are such a feminine insect."

Harry took that as a cue for him to cast his modified spell. "Vespertilis" A lone, darker, and now almost completely formed bat came into existence, fluttering around the study, and grabbing the eye of Salazar's pet snake. Unfortunately for the snake, it was a part of the portrait and would not be gaining a tasty snack any time soon.

"Butterflies would have been simpler than these bats." Harry defended himself.

Slytherin sneered in response.

"You are my heir, easy does nothing to commend you. If you brought this to a teacher, the added difficult would reward you with a higher level of earned respect, and maybe a higher grade if they award you extra-credit."

"What are you visualizing though?" the portrait asked. "And how much of bats have you even studied?"

"I wasn't really." Harry admitted. "I never really had to think about it once I got the bird-conjuring spell down."

"Well, bats differ from birds greatly. You are also trying to conjure multiple, are you not?"

"Yes, I have been testing the differing levels of power, but every time I try, I always either get less than I hoped for, as well as something deformed."

Slytherin was silent for a moment, before nodding and speaking out again.

"For now, I think it would be best if you simply focused on making one at a time, until you get used to how to conjure from pure air. You should also study the creatures more thoroughly, as with any art of magic, if you can visualize it easily, the easier the magic comes."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I had already determined that I need to study the species more. I guess I have been too ambitious in trying to summon multiple bats at a time though. I just want to have this as a tool as soon as possible."

Salazar hummed in thought. "You should be proud of the progress you have made so far, not many other fourteen-year olds could boast to dabbling in spell crafting, even if you are only modifying a per-existing one."

After another moments pause, the portrait spoke up again. "Try forming just one and truly think of it forming from just the air molecules around you. It may help the process, just use a bit more visualization than you were."

"Vespertilis" Harry firmly spoke, copying his previous wand movements. He focused on one perfectly formed bat, one he had scene in a drawing during his many stays in the library this year. He thought of air molecules and dust sticking together to create what he desired.

A moment later, a bat that appeared to be missing only its left ear was fluttering around Harry, but other than that seemed to be acting exactly as a bat should, well, at least a conjured one.

"Much better." Salazar praised. "If you continue practicing on from there, perfecting the one, and then adding one bat at a time, you should make quicker, and more stable progress." A sound idea from his ancestor, and one he would not take for granted considering the extra success the man had helped him achieve.

"You've spent a lot of time down here since you discovered my study." The founder observed during Harry's quiet contemplation. "And that does not include your used of my time-turner either."

"All of my year mates are obsessed with the tournament." Harry defended. "I don't enjoy constantly listening about it when I could be spending my time learning stronger magics and bettering myself."

"Do not forget your friends." The portrait warned. "You will need them in the future, should you exert your talent of getting yourself into a hairy situation once again."

"I haven't forgotten them!" Harry defended hotly. "But it is hard to spend time with them when they don't do or talk about anything that I find interesting currently. Hermione is the only one I could talk about all of this stuff, but she seems jaded about the fact that I appear to be just as smart or possibly smarter than her now that I am applying myself!"

"Choose better friends then." was the calm suggestion.

"There are none!"

"If you are sure."

"I am!" Harry replied confidently. After that, the only sound in the chamber was Harry's continued practice of conjuring his bats, attempting to create more so that he could have a swarm around him, acting as a flying shield.

After getting about five almost perfect bats to fly around him with one incantation, Harry cast a tempus charm, and noted how late it was.

"I only have thirty minutes until curfew. I will probably be back tomorrow. Anything you think I should work on?" Harry asked his ancestor.

Salazar thought for a moment before answering. "Yes, see if you cannot find Godric's and Rowena's room. It would satisfy me to know that my heir was also able to find their legacy within the school."

"You miss them." Harry realized.

"Of course I do. They were my peers in magical ability at the time. Though Godric could be childish, he was still an accomplished wizard and had my respect. Rowena and Helga were two of the best women of the age. A scholar belongs amongst other scholars." Slytherin admitted.

Harry nodded in understanding. "I'll search for it when I have the time."

"Go find your friends for now child." Slytherin shooed him away. "You will need them in due time, I am sure."

Harry agreed, and made his way out of the Chamber, certain to lock up and to cast some mild privacy spells over the area as he left Myrtle's bathroom. He was hoping people would have actually returned to the common room by that point, he was hoping to socialize a little bit outside of artistic representation of his family.

When he eventually entered the common room, he found his male year mates and a few other students hanging out by the fire.

"Are you the only ones around?" Harry asked as he crossed the room to join them.

"The older years are still by the goblet, and the younger years have already gone up to bed for the most part, same with the girls." Ron answered, a little downcast.

"Not happy about the age rules then?"

"Pissed off is more like it." Ron admitted.

Harry didn't say anything to that. He knew that Ron wanted to get outside of his brothers' shadows and was sure that with this opportunity being yanked out from under him, he would be a little sour for the next few days.

"Did you try and enter Harry?" Seamus asked quietly.

Harry shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Absolutely not. You think I like crazy things happening to me every year? No, if I want excitement, I'll go take my broom to the pitch. I was working on my bat-conjuring spell in an unused classroom and made some good progress."

The other boys chuckled as well when Harry brought up crazy things happening around him. "Blimey mate, you've turned into a boy version of Hermione over the summer, haven't you!" Dean teased, prompting Harry to launch a pillow at the darker skinned boy.

That single act of juvenile behavior would be one of the last friendly encounters he would have with his dorm mates for some time to come.


End file.
